The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-08-11


dates I'm That Body-ssnstors Who Az
tsrw srd Became Cabinet Omoers.
The central figures in the Senate
Chamber, pending the Thirty seventh
Congress, were Senators Foster, Of Con-
necticut; Bayard and Willard Salisbury,
Of Delaware; Douglas, of Illinois;
Bright, Of Indiana; Breckinridge, Of
Kentucky; Morrill, and Fessenden, Of
Maine; Sumner and Wilson, Of Massa-
chusetts; Chandler, of Michigan; Rice,
Of Minnesota; Hale, Of New Hampshire; !;
Wade and Sherman, of Ohio; Baker, of
Oregon; Wilmot, of Pennsylvania; An
thony, of Rhode Island; johnson, OF
Tennessee; Foot and Collamer, Of Yer.
mont, and Howe, Of Wisconsin.
It will doubtless be recalled that sena-
tor Breckinridge, who, as Vice Presiden,
under the administration of President
Buchanan, had just vacated the chair a.
presiding officer Of the Senate, was the
defeated Democratic candidate for the
presidency against Abraham Lincoln, and
also that Senator Douglas occupied meas
urably the same relation Of nom success,
Mr.. Lincoln having received 1SO elec-
toral votes, Mr.. Breckinridge seventy
two, Mr.. Bell thirty and Mr.. Douglas
twelve. Az coincidence, it may be
mentioned that two of the sitting sena-
tors subsequently became Vice President
johnson and Wilson-Mr. johnson,
however, succeeding to the presidency
upon the death of Mr.. Lincoln. Sens-
tors Fessenden, Morrill, and Sherman
subsequently became Secretaries of the
Treasury, Harlan and Zachariah Chan
dler Secretaries Of the Interior, and Howe
Postmaster General.
Jesse D. Bright had been acting Vice
President by virtue Of election to the
presidency pro tenn. Of the Senate in 1854,
pending the administration Of Franklin
Pierce, William r. King, of Alabama,
the Vice President elect, having died in
April, 1858, without assuming the office,
although he was sworn in before an
American consul in Cuba, to which
point he had repaired in hope of bene-
Ating his failing health. Lafayette 8.
Foster and Benjamin F. Wade were like
wise acting Vice Presidents, having been
chosen successfully as Presidents pro
tenn. Of the Senate upon the accession of
Vice President Andrew johnson to the
presidency.
Senator Collamer, Of Vermont, entered
the Cabinet Of President Taylor as Post
master General, and upon the latter death
remained IN like position in the Cabinet
Of President Fillmore, serving in that
capacity from March 4, 1S49, to July 10,
1850. He had been chosen representa-
tive In Congress for three successive
terms, from 1843 to 1849. Upon retiring
from the Cabinet he resumed his old
position as one Of the judges of the Su-
preme Court Of Vermont, of which tri-
bunal he had been q member from 1888
to 1641, and in 1854 he was chosen q
senator. He was reelected for Q second
Woodstock. Senator Collamer was born
in 1792 at Troy, N. Y, but removed with
his parents to Vermont at an early age.
He served with credit a. an officer of
volunteers in the war Of 1919, and was
held In high estimation throughout all
his public career. He received the de-
gree Of LII. D. from the Vermont Uni
versity and Dartmouth College.
His colleague, Solomon Foot, was
equally distinguished. He was born in
Vermont in 1902, and commenced life
- q tutor, subsequently coming to the
bar and acquiring eminent reputation q
. profound lawyer. He served two terms
In the House Of Representatives, from
1S4S to 1847, and was chosen senator for
three successive terms, from 1851 to
1859, but died at Washington in March
1865, greatly lamented. He was Presi-
dent pro tenn. Of the Senate for nearly six
years. Senator Foot was succeeded in
the Senate by George #. Edmunds, and
Senator Collamer by Luke p. Poland,
recently deceased.
Senator Lafayette 8. Foster was born
In Connecticut in 1903, and was direct
descendant Of Miles Standish, of the
"Pilgrim Fathers" and plymouth Rock"
fame. He came to the bar in 1884, was
chosen senator In 1855 and reelected to
Q second term ending March 8. 1867.
Senator Foster welded wide influence in
the senatorial body, and during the
stormy period Of tho civil war was one
Of the principal advisers Of President
AAnCOlu. OOlAoCtlvo1y COublu0roU, 66u8-
tors Bayard, Salisbury, Sumner, VII
son, Douglas, Hale, Fessenden, Wade,
Collamer, Foot, Foster, johnson, Baker,
McDougall, Chandler, Sherman, Howe,
Breckinridge, Bright and Wilmot were
as able and intellectual Q congregation
Of men a. ever served In the Senate.
OF these senators Bayard graduated
from Princeton, Salisbury from Della
ware and Dickinson, Hale and Fessen-
den from Bowdoin, Collamer from the
Vermont University, Foot from Middle
bury, Foster from Brown, Breckenridge
from Centre and Princeton, Wilmot from
Bethany, and Sumner from Harvard.
Senators McDougsll, Sherman, Chandler,
Howe and Brighs received an academic
education. Senators Douglas and Ben
Wade were poor youths, whose early
education was obtained under dif1icui-
ties, and both taught . country school
while study ing the profession of law.
Andrew johnson was self-taught, and
could neither read nor write until after
he had obtained his majority, his first
teacher In rudimentary education being
his wife. Henry Wilson, whose original
name was" Goliath" received limited
education, and was journeyman shoe